la gramiere:

The 2007 Menu for Hope charity event starts today! I spent some time browsing through all of the wonderful prizes that are available and it made me hungry and thirsty! Now it's time to narrow down the list and put my money where my mouth is!

Here is Pim's explanation of where the money will go this year, for full details see her wonderful site at www.chezpim.com.

This year for the 4th annual Menu for Hope, we are again supporting the UN World Food Programme. WFP is the world’s largest food aid agency, working with over 1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. In addition to providing food, the World Food Program helps hungry people to become self-reliant so that they escape hunger for good.

With a special permission from the WFP, the funds raised by Menu for Hope 4 will be earmarked for the school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa. We chose to support the school lunch program because providing food for the children not only keeps them alive, but helps them stay in school so that they learn the skills to feed themselves in the future.

We chose to support the program in Lesotho because it is a model program in local procurement - buying food locally to support local farmers and the local economy. Instead of shipping surplus corn across the ocean, the WFP is buying directly from local subsistent farmers who practice conservation farming methods in Lesotho to feed the children there.

We feed the kids, keep them in school, and support their parents and community farming. This sustainable approach to aid is something we believe in and strongly support.

As for La Gramière we are happy to participate again this year with another great day of work in the vineyard or at the winery! We're still waiting for a visit from last year's winner Emma Buls, who will hopefully make it over sometime in 2008! Remember, I specifically didn't put an expiration date on this prize so that you have ample time to make your travel plans. I promise, whenever you come, we'll make it a day to remember! Here's the full details, make sure to visit Vinography and Chez Pim for full details on all of the prizes.

Labor of Love - a day in the vineyard at La Gramière. Courtesy of La Gramiere Prize Code: WB15

Planning a trip to southern France? Why not spend a day learning what it’s really like to own a vineyard or work in a winery! Depending on the time of year you visit, we could be pruning, plowing, picking grapes, bottling, making wine or even selling it. Our vineyards, located at the foot of the medieval village of Castillon du Gard in the southern Rhône valley, are the prefect place to enjoy a day of (very rewarding) manual labor. To celebrate you accomplishments we will prepare a gourmet dinner for you and your fellow workers at our house!

Locally grown products with grace the table and all courses will be paired with the best our local winemakers have to offer. We will taste wines from all around the southern Rhone, not just La Gramière, and you (the winner) will be paid for your hard work with 12 bottles of La Gramiere. Now all that's left is planning that trip to Southern France!

(Note this prize does not include airfare, transportation or lodging, just a day of good hard work, great food and great wine!). Approximate value: $250.

Donation instructions:

1. Choose a prize or prizes of your choice from our Menu for Hope at http://www.chezpim.com/blogs/2007/12/menu-for-hope-4.html

2. Go to the donation site at http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhope4 and make a donation.

3. Please specify which prize you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per prize, and please use the prize code.

Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02. Please write 2xEU01, 3xEU02

4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.

5. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we could contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

Check back on Chez Pim (http://www.chezpim.com) on Wednesday Jaunary 9 for the results of the raffle.

In 2008 we will be producing a small quantity of white! Yes, it's true and we're so excited. We will be renting a little over an acre of whites, two small parcels, one Roussanne, one Clairette, which should make a for nice blend. Both are typical southern Rhône grapes, roussanne, is a fairly rich, aromatic varietal, and clairette a bit less expressive but with some nice floral characteristics and good acidity, which should compliment the Roussanne well. Of course with such small surface area, there won't be much, but it will be fun to experiment with!

We are renting the vines from the people who sold us the rest of our vineyards, so we'll be converting these plots to organic farming right away. Now we've got 10 months to figure out how to make white wine...I've already been talking to other local winemakers, and we plan on tasting a lot of whites with Roussanne and Clairette in order to try to find a few that we like, and then go find out how they vinify... Another adventure/challenge awaits! (Top photo: Clairette, bottom photo: Roussanne).